


And She Will Never Be Alone Again

by InfernumLilith



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Domestic, F/F, Fluff, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Teasing, Winter Decorations, marith, sitting by the fireplace, soft, tagging is hard when you don't want to spoil anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfernumLilith/pseuds/InfernumLilith
Summary: Entry for the Marithember Challenge 2020Prompt: Religion & HolidayMary asks Lilith to spend Christmas with her.But Lilith doesn't do Christmas.
Relationships: Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith & Original Mary Wardwell, Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith/Original Mary Wardwell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16
Collections: Marithember2020





	And She Will Never Be Alone Again

“Lilith, w-will you spend Christmas with me?” Mary asked nervously.

Lilith, who was in the middle of leaving Mary’s cottage for the night, halted in her step. She turned around with furrowed eyebrows. “Mary, are you asking me to celebrate Christmas with you?” she almost spat out the word. “Because we both know that I cannot do that. It’s just too uncomfortable for me.” The demoness watched Mary deflate at this and she felt her own heart squeeze painfully.

“I-I know you can’t. It’s just that…” Mary walked towards the fireplace staring intently at the fire. As soon as Mary stepped away Lilith didn’t fail to notice the sudden void between them, both physically and mentally. Suddenly it was quite obvious that Mary had disappeared to another place. Granted, her body was still there but her mind had run to another time. Lilith couldn’t help but walk up to her and stand behind her, hesitating to touch her and cause her to lose her trance.

“It’s just?” she prompted.

“Did you have a special holiday or even just a special day that you never felt alone?” Mary muttered.

Lilith frowned at that. A negative answer almost slipped from her lips before a memory stopped her short. “As a matter of fact, I did. It was a long long time ago.”

“When was it?” A simple question; One Lilith couldn’t leave unanswered.

“December during the Winter Solstice. It was during Yule celebrations. But like I said it has been thousand years since then.” The bitter tone in her voice couldn’t be helped.

Mary nodded. “That’s Christmas for me. He was always here to make sure I wasn’t alone.” They both knew what Mary meant by he. _Adam._ “By all means, I am not trying to replace him with you. I just don’t want to be alone.” She whispered with an audible gulp. “I-I never feel alone or lonely when you are here, Lilith.” She confessed softly.

Lilith couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on her lips. Her fingers wrapped around Mary’s wrist hesitantly and turned her around slowly. “I understand. I will be here but I cannot celebrate Christmas. You understand that, right?”

Immediately a relieved smile pulled on Mary’s lips, making Lilith’s heart flutter. The tension disappeared completely from her shoulders. “We don’t have to do that. We could have some tea and maybe you could tell me more about the Winter Solstice and the Yule traditions.” Before Lilith had a chance to answer, Mary’s eyes sparkled with an idea. Lilith raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She knew that look all too well. “Maybe we can celebrate Yule instead of Christmas this year. You could teach me how.” The teacher suggested hopefully.

The excitement in Mary’s voice was too obvious for Lilith to deny her. But then again denying Mary was something Lilith couldn’t easily do in any circumstance. “I… suppose we can do that. Yes.” Mary’s blinding smile and the abrupt hug threw Lilith off a bit. Even after two years of knowing each other, the abrupt touches, which were always filled with affection, came as a surprise to Lilith.

“Thank you, Lilith.” Mary muttered in her ear and with a final squeeze she let go of the demoness.

“You’re welcome.” Lilith nodded. “Go get some rest now. It’s late. I’ll be back soon.”

** A few days later **

The night of December the 22nd found Mary on the armchair next to the fireplace with a book in her hands. The book was a gift from Lilith which spoke about different kinds of magic that witches practiced. Logically Mary had been swallowed by it in an attempt to learn as much new information as possible. She was so engrossed into it that the sharp knock startled her into dropping it. She couldn’t help but wonder who was visiting her so late. She quickly gathered the book from the floor and made sure she looked presentable before opening the door. As always her hair were held tight onto a bun at the back of her head, leaving just two strands to frame her face. She tightened her fluffy white robe tighter around her body before pulling the door open hesitantly.

Her eyes immediately met with the other familiar baby blues. Of course, she didn’t fail to notice the two baskets hanging from Lilith’s arms.

“Lilith, what are you doing here?” her eyebrows furrowed in question as she opened the door a bit wider.

“I was under the impression that you wanted to celebrate Yule with me, didn’t you?”

“Ye-es. I did. I mean I do.” Mary nodded but still with quite a few questions burning in her head. “It’s the 22nd of December.” She voiced out loud waiting for Lilith to enter. Her eyes widened when she saw the tree levitating behind the demoness as she entered.

“And the day of the Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year.” Lilith informed her, passing one basket to her. “This goes to the kitchen, I’ll deal with it later.” Mary nodded wordlessly and took the basket to the kitchen. Curiosity got the best of her so she peeked inside. She was met with some sort of cake, a box of gingerbread cookies, a variety of small fruits and nuts, a large portion of uncooked pork and turkey, an herb mix the smell of which reminded her of ginger tea and a few bottles that she couldn’t quite pinpoint the type of liquid within.

By the time she returned to the living room Lilith was admiring the tree she had set up by the dark fireplace. The demoness didn’t fail to notice her presence. She glanced at the teacher with a soft smile. “You peeked, didn’t you?” she smiled knowingly.

Mary blushed at being caught. It had been only two years since their friendship started, yet Lilith could already read her like an open book. “I wasn’t supposed to?” she asked with the hope that she hadn’t ruined anything.

Lilith’s melodic chuckle calmed her instantly. “There is no harm in peeking, darling.” She extended an arm and beckoned her closer. “Come. Let us begin.” Mary took a few steps closer.

“Did you put out the fire?” Mary asked curiously.

“Yes, I did. There is a reason which I will explain in a bit.” Lilith glanced at the fireplace quickly before turning back to Mary. “Now, Yule traditions vary a lot. It depends on a lot of factors actually. It’s a tradition that is celebrated by pagans, witches and mortals alike all over the world. If I had to guess, I would say that it is more of an Earthy Holiday. People are praising Earth for the gifts She shares with them either with celebrations or their own gifts and prayers. I had the pleasure of being a part of different celebrations throughout the years.”

“In Hell?” Mary asked quite engrossed already.

“Oh no. Lucifer didn’t allow any kind of celebration that wasn’t on his name. In Hell at least. I celebrated them here, on Earth; with witches or pagans, sometimes even mortals but I was always in disguise. It provided me with some sort of freedom, even if I was doing it in secret.”

“What do you mean? Why in secret?” Mary asked watching Lilith brushing her fingertips over a Holly leaf. It seemed as Lilith was sorting through the items in the basket wondering on where to start. Mary waited patiently, hanging from Lilith’s words.

“Like I said the Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, which means that it’s a liminal time when the boundary of our world and the otherworld is the thinnest and can be easily crossed. Some people believe that the otherworld is the world of the spirits, of the dead, while others believe that it’s the world of the fairies.” She explained as she handed Mary a large piece of wood Mary hadn’t noticed before.

“What do you believe?” she asked making Lilith pause.

“I know it’s the world of the spirits. Unfortunately that includes the malevolent spirits, which are of course the ones that usually cross over and wreck havoc wherever they can. Could you place this inside the fireplace, please?” she instructed Mary pointing at the log in her hands before she reached in to grab a garland made by red berries.

“To answer your previous question, apart from malevolent spirits there were other dangerous creatures that crossed that border.”

“Demons.” Mary made a guess.

“Exactly. Lucifer sent many demons to Earth those nights. To punish those who didn’t worship him, he had said.” Lilith rolled her eyes at that.

“So he sent you too.” The teacher concluded with a sad frown.

Lilith nodded but to Mary’s surprise, she didn’t detect any sorrow or regret in her eyes. Instead a fond smile had formed on her lips while she wrapped the garland around the tree. “He did, but what Lucifer didn’t know was that I never followed his orders during those nights. There were never eyes watching me, I was free to do as I pleased because weirdly enough he trusted me. The disguise was to keep me safe in case he looked for me. For years he didn’t check up on me once which ended abruptly as soon as he started to get suspicious. He sent spies after me, it was written on my face, I will never know. Eventually he found out.” Lilith sighed sadly. “You can imagine what happened when he did.” Her smile was erased at the memories. “The punishment he delivered hadn’t been enough to make me regret my actions. Although, it did stop me from doing it again. The feelings I had been receiving every time I participated in the Yule celebrations had been absolutely worth it. I’ve learned so much and now it gives me the opportunity to share it all with you.” Lilith glanced at Mary, the smile back on her lips. The teacher had wrapped her arms around her middle trying in vain to stop her mind from picturing what Lucifer did to Lilith. If she only had the ability to turn back time and save Lilith from that personal hell, she would have done it in a heartbeat.

Lilith, of course, noticed and hurried to her side placing a hand on each of Mary’s upper arms. “Stay with me, darling. It’s over and it’s in the past. I am okay now. Free and safe.” Lilith leaned in a bit trying to catch Mary’s eyes, which were glaring intently on the floor. It didn’t take long for Mary to relax. Just a reassuring smile from Lilith was enough for the thoughts of a troubled past to dissolve on the background.

“I apologize.” Mary whispered.

“You know there is no reason to apologize for that, Mary.” Lilith smiled fondly. She rubbed Mary’s arms a few times before letting go.

“You are right. I am sorry.”

“Mary…” Lilith warned her.

“Right, right. No apologies.” Mary nodded and cleared her throat.

Lilith moved away and grabbed a box of matches from the basket. “Now as I was saying, During the Winter Solstice, the roads were filled with malevolent spirits and demons. People needed to protect their homes and villages from them.” She explained while she guided Mary in front of the fireplace. “To achieve the protection of your home, you have to ward all of the assailable parts of it.”

“Doors and windows?” Mary offered hesitantly.

“Very well.” Lilith beamed with pride. “But also… the fireplace. It is considered the most vulnerable part of the house.” She handed the matches to Mary but didn’t let her set the log on fire yet. “As you probably guessed already this is not a normal piece of wood. According to tradition, this is called a Yule Log. You light it on the evening of the Winter Solstice and you make sure that its flame never goes out.”

“For how long?” Mary questioned curiously.

“12 days. This is very important. You cannot let the fire die. It’s considered bad luck to light it again. Even if the fire dies for just a mere second, there is a good chance that the Yule Lads might slip in. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.” Lilith’s eyes had widened at the importance. She was so intense and serious that Mary couldn’t help but get scared.

“The Yule Lads?” Mary eyed Lilith afraid. “Who are they? Are they dangerous?”

The demoness didn’t manage to hold onto the façade for too long. When she started laughing, Mary scowled and slapped her shoulder. “Lilith! It’s not funny.” she huffed frustrated. “Stop teasing.”

“I am sorry, darling. Scary stories around fire is also tradition. Everything I said about the Yule Log is true but I will be here the whole time. I won’t let it die. There is nothing to be afraid of.” She offered her a reassuring smile hoping that Mary wasn’t mad at her.

The glare Mary threw at her was a bit scorching but the teacher couldn’t stay mad at Lilith even if she tried. They both knew that. “Around the fire!” Mary pointed out. “We didn’t even light it yet.”

“Go ahead then.” Lilith suggested kneeling down and prompting Mary to do the same.

“Me?”

“It’s customary for the youngest person in the house to do it.” Lilith explained with a smile. “Out of the two of us, you already know who the youngest one is.” She chuckled.

Mary took a deep breath and mirrored Lilith’s stance. She was so nervous. Her hands were shaking and she couldn’t even make the match work. A touch from Lilith and her calming words helped Mary through and in a few seconds the fireplace roared to life. Mary could swear that she felt the protective magic in her bones. “Now the Yule Lads won’t be able to slip in right?”

Lilith chuckled at Mary’s worry. “They won’t. Well they wouldn’t anyway. The Yule Lads are pranksters only interested in playing. Their targets are always houses with children or babies. They are also spirits of children. You are not in any danger.” Lilith winked at her and stood up. She pulled something from her basket but Mary was unable to see what it was. Mary’s curiosity struck again. As soon as she reached Lilith, the demoness turned and opened her palms.

“You are familiar with Holly and Mistletoe, I presume?”

Mary nodded blushing a bit at the mention of the Mistletoe and even though Lilith noticed, she didn’t comment on it. “A-also protections?”

“Exactly. They are to be hung over all doors and windows. Holly was thought to ward off evil spirits before they had the chance to enter and cause harm. The holly leaves, symbolic of the Holly King, represent hope while the red berries represent potency.” She pulled the Holly back and waved the Mistletoe in front of Mary. “Mistletoe, on the other hand, protected households from thunder, lighting and other evils. It is believed that the green leaves represent the fertility of the Mother Goddess or Earth Goddess, while the white berries represent the Forest God or Oak King. With that being said, there was also the belief that Mistletoe offered fertility and life.” Lilith paused giving Mary the opportunity to ask questions that they were burning to come out. When she didn’t, Lilith decided to put her out of her misery.

“Why don’t you hang some Mistletoe around and I’ll take care of the Holly.” When Lilith moved away, Mary seemed to be expecting more information about the Mistletoe even though she hadn’t asked. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe was widely known but for some reason Lilith had refrained from sharing the knowledge she possessed on the subject. Mary would have to muster the courage and ask her but there was no chance in hell that this was happening. Instead she chose to keep quiet and walk around the room hanging the plant on every window and door while she was stealing glances at Lilith. The desire to know more was burning inside her but for some reason she couldn’t get the words to come out.

When she finished with the kitchen and living room, Mary disappeared into her bedroom. By the time she returned Lilith was nowhere to be found. Mary, of course, went looking for her. When she reached the kitchen door, Lilith was exiting which caused them to bump into each other. Lilith cut her off before she had the chance to apologize. “If you wanted to kiss me all you had to do was ask.” Lilith teased looking at the Mistletoe hanging over their heads. Lilith’s tease worked like a charm. Mary’s cheeks turned red.

“I-I… T-this is not…” Mary stuttered.

Lilith placed her lips on Mary’s cheek for a few seconds and then pulled away. “Lilith!” Mary’s short gasp was to be expected but it only made Lilith chuckle.

“I am boiling water for some tea. Will you join me?” the demoness asked.

Mary was too flustered to answer so she nodded wordlessly.

“Good. Come help me decorate this tree while I explain the meaning of its decorations.” Mary didn’t waste another minute. The opportunity for knowledge was greater than the amount of embarrassment that was burning inside her chest.

Lilith handed some pinecones that shined with glitter to Mary; in turn Mary looked at her funnily. “Did you expect plastic and glass ornaments?” Lilith chuckled.

“Well I was not expecting you to decorate the pinecones with glitter.” Mary pointed out.

“It is absurd for the Queen of Hell to play around with glitter, isn’t it?” Lilith chuckled “It couldn’t be helped. Tradition demands it. The glittered pinecones are a symbol of the fairies.” The demoness pulled a few small bells from the basket and spread them around after waving them and let the sound fill the silence.

“What are the bells for?” Mary asked as soon as she finished placing the pinecones onto the tree.

“The bells are for calling the spirits and fairies. The good ones that is. Here. Try it.” Lilith took Mary’s hand, soft skin brushing against each other, and placed a few bells in her palm. Mary hesitated at first. She picked one bell and waved it around. The sound echoing in her mind brought a smile on her lips. “Are the fairies real?” she asked in quiet tones.

Lilith shrugged. “If they are, I haven’t met any. But maybe that’s because I am a demon. Some groups of pagans used to believe that they are. I’ve never questioned it. It is a nice idea. It is said that they only appear to people with a pure heart.” Lilith looked at Mary with a smile. “Someone like you.”

Mary huffed disbelievingly. “My heart is far from pure, Lilith.”

“I beg to differ. But… that is an argument you’ll be unable to win, darling.” Mary sighed and let it go for now. Winning arguments between her and Lilith wasn’t an easy way to do.

She turned back to the bells and mimicked her earlier motions before placing each bell on a different branch. When she finished she turned to Lilith expectantly. The demoness smiled proudly and showed her two bird ornaments while she was hanging them on the tree. “The robin ornament is equivalent to the Oak King.” Lilith pointed at the first one. “The second is a wren ornament and it is equivalent to the Holly King.” She explained while pointing at the other. “It is said that every Yule and Midsummer, the two Kings are locked in a battle.”

“And who wins?” Mary asked trying to comprehend the tale Lilith was telling her.

“Both and none.” Lilith smiled and produced a few similar ornaments. She shared some with Mary and continued reciting the tale while they were placing the ornaments on the tree. “The two Kings are personifications of summer and winter. The Holly King is winter while the Oak King is summer.”

“So the Holly King wins during Yule and the Oak King during Midsummer.” Mary answered logically.

“Exactly.” Lilith smiled. “Their battles reflect the seasonal cycles of the year.”

While Mary was mulling over the two Kings, Lilith retrieved another item from the basket and handed it to Mary. “A snowflake?”

“A 6-spoked snowflake.” Lilith corrected. “The Witch’s Rune, or the Hagalaz rune, has 6 spokes. This particular rune can be used as a force of repulsion or banishment. It is used to process and dispel the effects of subconscious baggage and shadow elements so that your life pattern can carry itself forward in its pure form. Fitting, don’t you think?”

There wasn’t a more fitting decoration up on that tree and both women knew that very well. Lilith’s entire past was an enormous baggage for her. Mary’s, on the other hand, wasn’t as great as the First Witch’s but that didn’t make it any less important. Fortunately with the support of each other, they had managed to overcome the biggest part of it.

The warm fingers on her wrist pulled Mary away from her trance of thoughts. She glanced at Lilith in question. Lilith, in return, smiled and pulled her away from the tree. “Why don’t you light the candles I spread around the room while I bring the tea?” she placed a small piece of wood on her palm. “Use the fire from the Yule Log as tradition demands, okay?”

Mary nodded with a smile.

When the tea was served and the candles lit, the two women made themselves comfortable on the couch after turning off all the lights. They sipped the tea in silence while they admired their shared work. The small cottage had completely transformed with just a few decorations. It was enchanting. “Oh! I almost forgot.” Lilith exclaimed. She placed the cup of tea on the table and snapped her fingers. The tree lit up with red, white and green colors. The room was illuminated with the three colors that flickered playfully against the Yule Tree in addition to the fire of the Yule Log and the candles. According to Lilith, the source of the only light in the house during the Winter Solstice should be the fireplace, the candles and the Yule Tree.

“Perfect.” Lilith murmured leaning back to the couch. “Let’s take a break for today, yes? I have a few more things to show you tomorrow.”

The possibility of learning more about the Yule Holiday brought more excitement to Mary. So far, everything Lilith taught her had left her in awe. She placed her cup on the table and moved a bit closer to Lilith. She looked at her shyly. “Lilith, thank you.”

“It was my pleasure teaching you, darling.” She smiled back at her.

“Oh yes. Thank you for that.” Mary smiled shyly. “But also thank you for staying. Here. With me. For me.” She whispered.

Lilith wrapped a hand around Mary’s shoulders and pulled her against her side. The brunette teacher nestled there comfortably. Lilith’s closeness always filled Mary with a feeling of safety. It wasn’t the first time they enjoyed each other’s close proximity like that. It was an unspoken agreement, if you must.

“I will always stay for you, Mary.” She whispered back and pressed an affectionate kiss on the crown of her head. Mary didn’t answer but Lilith felt her smile against her shoulder.

Lilith couldn’t tell how much time had passed when Mary’s head started dropping from her shoulder. Realizing that the teacher had fallen asleep, she repositioned her head on her lap and draped a blanket, which Mary kept on the back of the couch, over the sleeping woman’s body. She carefully undid her bun and let her hair fell freely around her face.

“As long as I am alive, you will never be alone again. Rest well, my dear Mary.” She whispered in the softest tone she could muster, her fingers running softly through Mary’s hair. The warmth of the fireplace gave Lilith a feeling of domesticity and bliss that she never wanted to lose.

**Author's Note:**

> How would you describe this relationship? Because honestly, I couldn't really decide.  
> Any feedback is really welcome :)


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